A boy (6) from New Horizons in Pelican Park was hospitalised after a homemade acid bomb exploded in his face last week.

According to a witness, the Grade 1 learner of Zeekoevlei Primary School was handed a bomb by a teenage boy at a park near Haroon Street, Eagle Park on Thursday afternoon while playing with his siblings.

The boy says he was asked to shake the bottle before it exploded.

He spent days at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital after he suffered burns to his eyes, face, chest and stomach.

Washiela Maarsdorp, a resident of Haroon Street, saw the explosion.

“The bigger boy approached Mika-eal, handed over the bottle and asked him to shake it. The next thing we knew, there was a loud bang and terrifying screams,” she says. “My mother ran to help him and fetched a cloth from one of the houses close by. She wiped his face and there was blood all over and his skin came off. When we undressed him, we saw the hole in his chest. They rushed him to the hospital.”

His distraught mother, Andrika Jacobs, says she will lay charges against the teen this week.

Jacobs says the teen claims the acid bomb was taken from his school’s science lab.

“I went to his parents and they don’t seem to care,” she says.

Jacobs says doctors feared her son might lose his eyesight on the day of the explosion.

“It was really bad and he couldn’t open his eyes at all. Doctors also had to remove the remains of the bomb from his skin. This included pieces from a plastic bottle. The remains of the bomb were stuck deep in his chest, causing the skin to burn around it.

“Mika-eal has to return to hospital this week and will be staying there for the next few days. He only came home for the weekend. Travelling is a major issue for us. We do not have the necessary money and transport to take our son to hospital all the time and would appreciate it if there was anyone in the community who could help.”

Jacobs says her son has nightmares.

“He is traumatised and gets scared for any loud sound he hears. He can’t deal with it. Mika-eal hasn’t gone for counselling yet and we plan to take him. I am just glad that there were helpful people at hand when the incident occurred.”

Warrant Officer Wynita Kleinsmith of Grassy Park Police Station says no charges have been laid yet.

V Anyone who would like to help the family with transportation can call Andrika Jacobs on 079 665 2331.

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